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Athletics books

  • 08-08-2010 10:20pm
    #1
    G-Money
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,200 ✭✭✭


    I've got quite into athletics and stuff recently and have been reading a few publications and the like. I'm currently finishing off Sonia O'Sullivan's book, and I'm going to start on Paula Radcliffe's and then another one about a guy called Jim Hogan. I also read Lance Armstrongs "its not about the bike" in one day last week, although I know he's technically not A/R/T

    So I was wondering if people could recommend some other books of a similar sort? Books about runners and athletes and the like?

    Cheers.


«1

Comments

  • #2
    Sosa
    Registered Users Posts: 3,209 ✭✭✭Sosa


    Born to Run...i will say no more.....really enjoyable read or listen if you get the audio


  • #3
    myflipflops
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭myflipflops


    This book about Steve Prefontaine is a must read for you.

    http://www.amazon.com/Pre-Americas-Greatest-Running-Prefontaine/dp/0875964575


    DO NOT buy Kelly Holmes autobiography. It is a terrible.


  • #4
    G-Money
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,200 ✭✭✭G-Money


    Sosa wrote: »
    Born to Run...i will say no more.....really enjoyable read or listen if you get the audio

    I had that book in my hand today in Eason's but I wasn't sure what it was about. I thought it was more of a technical book about running so I wasn't particularly interested...


  • #5
    xebec
    Registered Users Posts: 3,311 ✭✭✭xebec


    grandmaster wrote: »
    I had that book in my hand today in Eason's but I wasn't sure what it was about. I thought it was more of a technical book about running so I wasn't particularly interested...

    Anything but that. Easily the best of the running books I've read.

    Other than that, there's Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes as well as many others...


  • #6
    Blueskye
    Registered Users Posts: 960 ✭✭✭Blueskye


    "Born to Run" is great.
    "Meditations from the Breakdown Lane" is good if you're into longer distances, or just interested.
    "Running through the Wall" is also good.
    "More Fire: How to run the Kenyan Way" I've only started this one.
    "My Life on the Run" by Bart Yasso
    "Ultramarathon Man" Dean Karnazes
    "Ultrarunning: My Story" by Mike Bouscaren


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  • #7
    dermCu
    Registered Users Posts: 519 ✭✭✭dermCu


    From last to first - Charlie Spedding


  • #8
    ecoli
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,762 ✭✭✭✭ecoli


    grandmaster wrote: »
    I've got quite into athletics and stuff recently and have been reading a few publications and the like. I'm currently finishing off Sonia O'Sullivan's book, and I'm going to start on Paula Radcliffe's and then another one about a guy called Jim Hogan. I also read Lance Armstrongs "its not about the bike" in one day last week, although I know he's technically not A/R/T

    So I was wondering if people could recommend some other books of a similar sort? Books about runners and athletes and the like?

    Cheers.

    Have the Jim Hogan one and i must admit as an athletics book i wasn impressed to be honest few ones that i would recommend would be

    Running with the Buffalos
    The Perfect Mile
    Sub 4 (Alan Webb Story)
    Bowerman

    Possibly four of the best running books (for motivation) i have ever read and all based on real runners and stories from the race to be first sub four miler ever to US college runners

    Also in terms of films if you can get them

    Without Limits and Prefontaine about the same story but both good in there own way though personally i am a Without Limits fan thru and thru

    Also Chris Lear probably one of the best athletes books writers out there so any of his books are generally good


  • #9
    fiddy3
    Registered Users Posts: 138 ✭✭fiddy3


    Read Once a Runner, a novel, but it features probably the most realistic description of running ever written. Tops the bill in my book. Radcliffe's autobiography is solid, kelly Holmes's is poor, duel in the sun and running with the buffaloes are both very good, I found the bowerman book dull in many parts. Best efforts by kenny moore is another good one. I wouldn't read anything by Dean Karnazes, the guy is an egotistical knobhead who exaggerates his achievements. Born to Run is okay, but didn't think it was all it was cracked up to be, haile's biography ain't great. On the cycling front, if you've any interest, read tour de force by daniel coyle, easily the best cycling book i've read, (yes, even better than lance's "heroic" :rolleyes: tale).


  • #10
    TheRoadRunner
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,983 ✭✭✭TheRoadRunner


    xebec wrote: »
    Other than that, there's Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes as well as many others...

    Good read but full of $hite


  • #11
    athlete123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 28 ✭athlete123


    Anyone know where i can get Michael Johnson's autobiography? Heard it was very good but cant seem to find a copy of it anywhere:(:confused:......


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  • #12
    TheRoadRunner
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,983 ✭✭✭TheRoadRunner


    Wasn't impressed with Jim hogan book myself. He wrote it himself with no ghost writer and while this is commendable it has no structure.

    The bowerman book is ok. Is very slow to get going as there is basically a few chapters of American history at the start to get through.

    I read a book by Michael Johnson, "slaying the dragon" I think. It was basically motivational book. Was really painful avoid if at all possible.

    Duel in the sun is a great book as is the dick bardsley autobiography.

    Found radcliffes a little dull.


  • #13
    wgtomblin
    Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭wgtomblin


    Most or all of these already mentioned... I would definitely recommend them.

    'Pre' Tom Jordan
    'Running with the Buffaloes' - Chris Lear
    'The Long Hard Road' - Ron Hill
    'From Last to First' - Charlie Spedding


  • #14
    RoyMcC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,567 ✭✭✭RoyMcC


    Charlie Francis - Speed Trap. The inside track on the Ben Johnson affair, by his coach.


  • #15
    smmoore79
    Registered Users Posts: 2,346 ✭✭✭smmoore79


    Plus one on Born to Run, a class book.

    Also I just finished 'Barefoot runner'. Its about the life of Ibebe Bikila, the first African to win an olympic gold (marathon). Its not only about his running and training etc, but also a good insight into 1950's Etheopia and the sh1t that went on there with the King and the military trying to overthrow him.. Really enjoyable read..


  • #16
    claralara
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,663 ✭✭✭claralara


    grandmaster wrote: »
    I had that book in my hand today in Eason's but I wasn't sure what it was about. I thought it was more of a technical book about running so I wasn't particularly interested...

    How much was it in Eason's? And is it the one by Christopher McDougall or Michael Morpurgo? Just looking at amazon here.

    Any recommendations for a good read for a first marathon? As a long term goal..


  • #17
    maryishairy
    Registered Users Posts: 90 ✭✭maryishairy


    I've read a few athletics books, mostly biographies/ autobiographies as the technical running books don't really interest me.

    Eamon Coughlan: Chairman of the Boards (Excellent book! I've read it twice!)
    Sonia O' Sullivan: My Story (very average...doesn't reveal a whole lot)
    Haile Gebrselaisse: The Greatest (I was expecting alot of this book so it was very disappointing)


  • #18
    shels4ever
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    Just started "Sebastian Coe Comming back" last night . Chapter 8 is called..Who said i'm finished...:) think thats going to be my new moto..


  • #19
    xebec
    Registered Users Posts: 3,311 ✭✭✭xebec


    TheRoadRunner wrote: »
    Good read but full of $hite

    Can't disagree with that. Really enjoyed reading the book, have learned a lot more about ultrarunning and Dean Karnazes himself since reading it...
    claralara wrote: »
    How much was it in Eason's? And is it the one by Christopher McDougall or Michael Morpurgo? Just looking at amazon here.

    The one being referred to here is Christopher McDougall's book. (Mopurgo's book is clearly about a dog ;))


  • #20
    G-Money
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,200 ✭✭✭G-Money


    shels4ever wrote: »
    Just started "Sebastian Coe Comming back" last night . Chapter 8 is called..Who said i'm finished...:) think thats going to be my new moto..

    I can't find that on Amazon. Is it an old release?


  • #21
    shels4ever
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    grandmaster wrote: »
    I can't find that on Amazon. Is it an old release?

    yep 1984 isbn 0-283-99185-2

    http://www.amazon.com/Sebastian-Coe-Coming-David-Miller/dp/0283991852/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281381116&sr=1-1


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  • #22
    claralara
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,663 ✭✭✭claralara


    xebec wrote: »
    The one being referred to here is Christopher McDougall's book. (Mopurgo's book is clearly about a dog ;))

    Haha! And it's only a monday...good girl! :o


  • #23
    Pisco Sour
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭Pisco Sour


    Eamonn Coghlans book is a great read.


  • #24
    BJohnson
    Registered Users Posts: 250 ✭✭BJohnson


    I highly recommend Born to Run - I've recommended it to a lot of patients, and every one of them has loved it. The author did a talk at the Google campus and touched on a lot of the main points of the book - you can check it out here and see if it's something you might be into:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_usxrvKvus


  • #25
    Krusty_Clown
    Registered Users Posts: 19,495 ✭✭✭✭Krusty_Clown


    maryishairy wrote: »
    Eamon Coughlan: Chairman of the Boards (Excellent book! I've read it twice!)
    Damnit. I'll have to wait until the Dublin City Marathon Expo and get a signed copy now.. Never bothered to pick one up last year. Missed opportunity. Hope he'll be back this year.


  • #26
    G-Money
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,200 ✭✭✭G-Money


    04072511 wrote: »
    Eamonn Coghlans book is a great read.

    Is this another book that's out of print or something like the Seb Coe book? Amazon don't have it available either.


  • #27
    maryishairy
    Registered Users Posts: 90 ✭✭maryishairy


    grandmaster wrote: »
    Is this another book that's out of print or something like the Seb Coe book? Amazon don't have it available either.

    Available here grandmaster......

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eamonn-Coghlan-Chairman-Boards-Master/dp/0954865340


  • #28
    shels4ever
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    Krusty_Clown wrote: »
    Damnit. I'll have to wait until the Dublin City Marathon Expo and get a signed copy now.. Never bothered to pick one up last year. Missed opportunity. Hope he'll be back this year.

    Haha I popped in the year before last to get it signed.. He wished me luck in Dublin Marathon '08... but I wasnt even running.... :)


  • #29
    Krusty_Clown
    Registered Users Posts: 19,495 ✭✭✭✭Krusty_Clown


    shels4ever wrote: »
    Haha I popped in the year before last to get it signed.. He wished me luck in Dublin Marathon '08... but I wasnt even running.... :)
    Cheeky pup. :)


  • #30
    shels4ever
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    Krusty_Clown wrote: »
    Cheeky pup. :)
    Yep but just means i'll have to run Dublin someday.


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  • #31
    neonman
    Registered Users Posts: 583 ✭✭✭neonman


    Advanced Marathoning is a great book.

    http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Marathoning-2nd-Peter-Pfitzinger/dp/0736074600/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281452784&sr=1-8


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